When Aaron and I got married we weren't the type to write up vows. We didn't get married in a church. We were married at a hotel, surrounded by our family and friends. Before them we read a script, so to speak, that we had picked out and felt represented what we wanted to in our marriage. The usual in sickness and in health, better or worse, richer or poorer. It was something we didn't think twice on.
Of course we would love each other if one of us got sick. No question. Richer or poorer, well I'm not sure which is worse, but I'm fairly certain we have felt the poorer side and are still going strong. But what happens when you have kids. I don't remember taking the vows.
The doctor holds my babies up and twice we hear the words "It's a girl!" I could barely see through the tears from my excitement. While the mama in me was happy for a healthy baby, the hair stylist in me was pumped for little girls. The thoughts of ballet recitals, prom and wedding hair had me elated.
It was that rush of the good side of the vows. No one ever thinks about the other side.
Right now. It's 1:19am. Kenley is about 6 weeks away from being 4 and Quinn is a little over a year and a half. I'm up writing this because of the other side. The other side that is at times testing on all of my patience and energy. The other side that I unknowingly agreed to when they said 'it's a girl'. Well here is my other side.
To my sweet Quinn :
I will love you in happiness and in full on toddler rage when you don't get your way.
I will love you in health and when you waste an entire meal because you decided that this week you don't like anything you have eaten for your whole existence.
I will love you in slumber but especially in your inexplicable desire to resist sleep. At. All. Costs.
For my amazing Kenley:
I will love you in good fashion and when you wear 13 hair clips at the same time.
I will love your polite manners and when you talk back as if you have lived 13 years in your short 4.
I will love you in cleanliness and in your complete disregard for where things go even when I have to offer comfort because you hurt yourself on something you were told should have been put away.
These are the vows I took when they said "It's a girl!" These are the vows that make me a proud mama. These are the vows that give me so many stories and Facebook status updates.
....
Quinn, those four dots represent you calling out "mommy" just now from your room. Me stopping my typing to pull you into my bed. Me reasoning with you (a 19 month old) about going to sleep.
For better or worse, in sickness and in health, at 8:30pm or 2am, those were the vows I took when they said "It's a girl!"
-Natalie
"As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen." - Winnie the Pooh